Brand Owner - Chose To Remain Anonymous 

When Did You Become An Alcohol/Drug User?
I had my first drink at around 15, and drank occasionally as a teenager, I’ve only really been drunk once in my life. I have however used a variety of other drugs to a greater extent, but I did not use these drugs in a problematic way.

Did You Have A Problem?
No.

Why Did You Stop?
Just as I turned 18, I started to experience some mental health issues that required me to be completely in control of my own actions in order to avoid escalating those issues and creating situations that could be problematic for me. I made the decision to become sober to ensure I had the stability and control in my life to properly manage my mental health.

I started to experience some mental health issues that required me to be completely in control of my own actions

How Did You Get Sober?
I quit cold turkey and looked at sober inspirations such as my grandfather and Steve-O to help instil the willpower to stay sober. However my fear of my mental health getting worse was a strong and serious factor in maintaining my sobriety.

What Challenges Do You Face Being Sober?
I face relatively few challenges being sober, I’ve adjusted to the change in social settings where intoxication is normal, and I overall find sobriety to be quite absent of serious challenges.

What Rewards Does Sobriety Bring To You?
Sobriety brings me a ton of rewards, most key for me is control, and the ability to manage my mental health properly which is very liberating in its own way. Without sobriety I wouldn’t have any of the things I hold dear, nor would I have achieved and grown in the way that I have over the past few years, it really has been the key to my growth and improvement as a person.

Sobriety also rewards me with great health, focus, confidence that I can have a good day tomorrow without worrying about hangovers, productivity, time to focus on what’s important to me, and just overall clarity in my life. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.

Advice For People Who Want To Quit?
My advice for people who want to become sober is as follows.

1. Believe in yourself and always hold in your head that sobriety is an achievable goal. It can seem intimidating initially especially if you’ve been using drugs or alcohol for a long time (whether it’s been problematic for you or not) but it’s easier than you think and by considering it achievable, the goal will become easier to attain.
2. Get a sobriety tracker and build reasons to stay sober, something to run towards and something to run away from.
3. Find and use the support that you personally need, I was able to be sober independently, but there’s no shame in getting help to become sober if that’s what you need.
4. If you need space to be away from intoxicants, but most of your friends socialise in an intoxicated setting, tell them why you’re not as social as you would be, it’ll help them understand and maybe be more accommodating of you going forwards.
5. Never give up, but don’t beat yourself up too badly if you slip up, better is better and it’s important to celebrate your success. Over the long term if you’re moving in the right direction that’s what really matters, but equally it’s important to be properly disciplined with yourself and avoid giving in, even if that’s a really difficult thing to do.